Lincoln: Hot pace in President's Cup should be ideal for Bach's Homebrew

Bach’s Homebrew should get ample pace to run at as a strong field of eight older horses goes six furlongs in the $15,000 President’s Cup Stakes at Lincoln Race Course.

Bach’s Homebrew exits an impressive nine-length win over Nebraska-bred rivals in the Big Red Mile locally on May 30. It was his second stakes win of the year after taking the Ogataul Stakes at Fonner Park in March. A 4-year-old son of Milwaukee Brew, Bach’s Homebrew is unbeaten in four stakes appearances over this track, including a romping 12- length win in the Lincoln Derby last year for trainer Larry Staroscik.

Staroscik will also send out the speedy Bumper to make his seasonal debut as part of an uncoupled entry in the President’s Cup.

Several front-runners have the credentials to foil Bach’s Homebrew, most prominently Honkytonk Stomp. Trained by Dudley Graham, Honkytonk Stomp drew off a 3 1/2-length win in the Speed Stakes locally on May 14. The 4-year-old Honkytonk Stomp won his maiden locally by 8 1/2 lengths last year and has won three of his five stakes appearances this year. He equaled the track record for four furlongs at Fonner Park early this year when winning the Grasmick Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths.

Bumper, From the Ashes, and Canadian Ridge also are expected to show high early speed. From the Ashes, trained by Chuck Turco, set the pace for six furlongs of the Big Red Mile before fading to fifth and has been on or near the front in all of his career starts. Canadian Ridge ships in from his Prairie Meadows base for trainer Joe Moss and is undefeated in three starts, all front-running efforts.